Barely Breathing
by Atg543
Summary: Oneshot. BrookeDean OTHSN crossover. Cause I am barely breathing, And I can’t find the air, I don’t know who I’m kidding, Imagining you care, And I could stand here waiting, A fool for another day, But I don’t suppose it’s worth the price.


Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or Supernatural. I also don't own the song Barely Breathing.

Note: A quick one shot that I had to get out of my system. It's a Brooke/Dean (OTH/SN)

**Barely Breathing**

_I know what you're doing, _

_I see it all too clear _

_I only taste the saline when I kiss away your tears _

"Don't." Brooke held up her hand, signaling the end of the discussion. She didn't want to have this fight again.

"Just go, Dean. Don't do this to me again."

But Dean didn't leave yet; he just reached out for Brooke and pulled her into his arms, wiping away the few tears that had fallen on her cheeks.

"You know I don't want to, but I have to." He tried to comfort her, but he knew his words were only causing pain.

_You really had me going, wishing on a star _

_But the black holes that surround you are heavier by far _

_I believed in your confusion, you were so completely torn _

_Well it must have been that yesterday was the day that I was born _

_There's not much to examine, there's nothing left to hide _

_You really can't be serious if you have to ask me why _

"No you don't." She said, pulling away from him, "You always say that it's the last time, and for some stupid reason I always believe you, but I'm done."

"I can't predict when things are going to happen, I just-"

"Dean, there is always going to be evil in the world. I know that, and you have always known that. You've always know that you could never give up hunting and yet you kept selling me this lie that made me believe it was the last time I was going to sit up waiting to know if you were okay."

Dean struggled to make her understand, "Brooke, I would never intentionally hurt you, and I wish I could just be with you-"

"Bullshit." Brooke spat, her hazel eyes darkening with stored up pain, "You hurt me every time you choose hunting over me. You act like it's so hard to leave me but then you go so willingly and-"

"It's my job. I have to protect people from the horrible shit out there, shit that you could never even understand!" His voice had risen to a yell, but Brooke didn't respond in kind. She kept her voice even and steady.

"You're right. I'll never understand. I'm just some innocent little girl who has never experienced anything worse than a broken nail, right?" Brooke's voice dripped with sarcasm as she stared straight into Dean's eyes, daring him to speak.

He quickly tried to backtrack, "Brooke, you know that's not what I meant."

"Don't you remember how we met Dean? I was about to be murdered by some psycho, who gave me this scar," She pulled up her silk, cream colored dress, the one she had bought for their one year anniversary dinner tonight, exposing her stomach, where a large gash was visible, starting under her chest and ending at her belly button, "and you and your brother saved me. But you're right, I don't know anything."

"Can't you see? That's my point! Don't you want me to help other people, like you? You would have died." Pain was evident in his voice as he thought back to the night when she had almost died in his arms. Even with dirt and bruises all over her body she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He knew he had to have her, but he never thought he would love her like he did.

"Dean, please don't give me this again. You make me sound like a selfish bitch, which maybe I am, but you finished what you originally started out to do. Can't you just stop and let God handle the rest?"

"Because, God doesn't do a damn thing! Brooke – people die and I can stop it. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" Why couldn't she just understand that he didn't want to leave her, but he had to?

Brooke put her head in her hands, tired of this constant fighting. "Of course it means something to me! But Dean, even Sam stopped hunting. I think you are just upset about your dad, but Dean, you have to let that go, your dad would want you to."

"This isn't about my dad. This is about me. And Sam stopped hunting because he couldn't say goodbye to our dad like I could. He still carries all that weight around with him. It's harder to hunt with all of that."

Brooke shook her head sadly and opened the door for him, "Well, then I guess I should make your job easier for you. Good bye Dean."

_I say good-bye... _

Dean looked at Brooke, hurt, and tried to find something to say to make this okay again. They always fought, and they always made up. This had to be okay. Brooke was everything to him. But as he opened his mouth to say something, Brooke looked away. "Goodbye Dean."

'_Cause I am barely breathing _

_And I can't find the air _

_I don't know who I'm kidding _

_Imagining you care _

_And I could stand here waiting _

_A fool for another day _

_But I don't suppose it's worth the price, worth the price _

_The price that I would pay _

Brooke wrapped her arms around her legs, spilling tears onto her unused dress. She slowly pulled off her heels, discarding them on the floor.

She hated the fact that she had believed he was going to stop, that he was going to come home to her for good. She hated that her love for him had blinded her to the truth – Dean was never going to choose her over hunting. It was his whole life – she was just a re-moveable piece of it.

She had to let him go. She knew it would hurt worse in the future if she let this continue. She knew she had to do it, but she had trouble breathing through her tears all the same.

Dean sat in his car, outside the huge white house with the red door, and couldn't bring himself to drive away. It probably wasn't safe to drive when you can hardly breathe anyway.

Something was different this time – it was final. Brooke had finally run out of patience, gotten tired of his lies. She was gone.

_Everyone keeps asking, what's it all about? _

_I used to be so certain and I can't figure out _

_What is this attraction? I only feel the pain _

_There's nothing left to reason and only you to blame _

_Will it ever change? _

Brooke remembered when Dean came to visit her at the hospital; it was the second time they had met.

"Brooke?" He'd peaked in from around the door.

"I didn't think I'd see you again." Brooke smiled, pulling herself up into a sitting position, ignoring the pain in her stomach. She really hadn't thought she'd she him again because he had told her specifically that she wouldn't see him again, On the ride to the hospital, in order to keep her calm, he'd explained, to her disbelief, that his brother Sam had seen her attack in a vision. He'd briefly told her about what he and Sam did – that's when she'd passed out from blood loss. She had awoken in the hospital, surrounded by her friends: Peyton, Lucas, Haley, Rachel, Mouth, and Nathan. The cops had taken her story – she told them she was attacked by a dark haired man (which she had been, she just failed to tell them that this man was an evil spirit). They were searching for him, even though Brooke knew she was safe, Sam and Dean had made sure of that.

"Yeah, well…" Dean shrugged, sitting down on the edge of her bed, "We decided to stay another night."

"Where's Sam?"

Dean smirked at that, "He doesn't know I'm here."

They had talked all night, mostly about pointless stuff, but about some serious things. He told her more about what he did, and why he did it. She told him about her friends and family, something that she didn't think was half as interesting as Dean's stories, but he listened to every word.

They slowly became inseparable – well, at least when Dean was in town, which was for about a week once a month. It hadn't bothered her at first because she was just so happy when she was with him that it all seemed like it was worth it. Her friends told her to get rid of him, they never understood why Brooke of all people would wait around for some guy. She had ignored them at first, but it became so hard to watch Peyton and Lucas, Haley and Nathan, and even Rachel and Mouth dance at Prom from a lonely seat at her table.

The harder she fell for him, the harder it became to let him go off into danger. Her heart just stopped being able to take it and the pain couldn't be masked any longer.

A knock at her door made her jump. She knew it was him – he always came back. They always made up. But it was different this time, she didn't know if she could do it.

"Brooke, open the door." Dean pleaded, knocking once more. He couldn't leave her like this.

"Just go." She yelled, trying to hide her tears.

Within seconds the door was open. "I pick locks all the time." He smiled, trying to lighten the mood. It might have worked another night.

'_Cause I am barely breathing _

_And I can't find the air _

_I don't know who I'm kidding _

_Imagining you care _

_And I could stand here waiting _

_A fool for another day _

_But I don't suppose it's worth the price, worth the price _

_The price that I would pay _

_But I'm thinking it over anyway..._

"Please, Brooke. I love you." He sat down next to her and gathered her into his arms, holding her tight.

"But not enough." She whispered against his chest, wondering if this was the last time she was going to be in his arms.

"No, please don't say that." He said, his voice shaky. Brooke could tell they were both about to lose it. "Just let me go this once, and when I come back we can talk about everything and figure something out. Okay?"

_I've come to find _

_I may never know _

_Your changing mind _

_Is it friend or foe? _

"Dean, I can't do this anymore. You are hurting me. This isn't worth it anymore." Brooke intertwined their hands together, wondering why when everything else was wrong, their fingers still seemed to fit.

"Just…okay, I'll stay tonight. I'll stay tonight and we can celebrate out anniversary like we were going to. Okay?"

Brooke shook her head, "tonight isn't enough Dean, tonight isn't going to be enough for forever.

_I rise above _

_Or sink below _

_With every time _

_You come and go _

_Please don't come and go _

"Please just stay. Just stay forever. Please" She was begging and she hated it. Brooke Davis didn't beg for guys, but this just wasn't any guy. This was her guy. Dean Winchester, the love of her life.

"Brooke-"

"Then go Dean! Pick one! Stay or go. I can't do this anymore. There is no more discussion." She pulled away from him and stood up from the bed, looking out the window.

Dean studied the back of her beautiful, frail frame. He knew she was crying – she always turned away from him when she did, not wanting him to see her. She had no idea that those silent tears kept him awake every night he was away from her. She had no idea that when she had trouble breathing, he couldn't breathe at all.

'_Cause I am barely breathing _

_And I can't find the air _

_I don't know who I'm kidding _

_Imagining you care _

_And I could stand here waiting _

_A fool for another day _

_But I don't suppose it's worth the price, worth the price _

_The price that I would pay _

_But I'm thinking it over anyway_

She heard the door open and close behind her. He was gone. It was over. Brooke couldn't hide it anymore. She slid down the wall to the floor, closing her eyes tight in an attempt to block out the pain.

She didn't even hear the door open.

"I just had to get my bags. I'm here." Dean gently slid his arm under her legs and placed her arm around his shoulder, lifting her off the ground and putting her on the bed. He didn't say anything else and neither did she. They just laid together until they both fell asleep, their breathing perfectly in sync.

A/N: What'd y'all think? Let me know! Oh, and if you liked this, look for my full length Brooke/Dean story coming October 1st!


End file.
